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Article and photo contributed by Anis Taufik, Editor/Writer, Bar Council

Anne Andrew is perhaps the only staff member from the entire Bar Council Secretariat who is privy to the often-frenetic schedule and whereabouts of the Malaysian Bar’s four Office Bearers at (almost) any given time of the day.  Seated in a cubicle directly outside the President’s office, Anne’s presence is strongly felt – whether she is briefing the Office Bearers on their respective schedules, or on the telephone setting up press interviews or negotiating the best ticket deals with travel agents – and you cannot help but note the vital role that she plays in the everyday bustle of this vibrant organisation.  Soft-spoken with the gentle, self-assured demeanour of an individual who has seen plenty and learned a lot from her experience in the workforce, Anne exudes a natural charm and inspires confidence in those who work with her.  

Having been with Bar Council since 18 Mar 2009, Anne described her position of Personal Assistant to the Office Bearers as “more of a secretarial position”, before highlighting a few items from her broad list of responsibilities.  These include looking into the Office Bearers’ incoming mail, compiling details of conferences and events that require their attendance, preparing letters and documents for their attention, and purchasing lunches for them when the tea-lady is absent.  In an amused tone, she disclosed that she has even been requested to step out of the office to buy aspirin to soothe an Office Bearer’s throbbing headache!  

Anne continued by explaining that her job can be challenging at times, especially as it demands a lot of attention and a meticulous eye to detail.  She pointed out, “In this kind of job, it’s very important to know what your bosses’ needs and expectations are.  If you don’t know that, you cannot work with different bosses.  So you actually have to know their style of work and be on top of everything.  You can’t forget; you can’t afford to forget because their meetings, sometimes with the embassies, ministries and judges, are so important”.  Anne mentioned that she always strives to get things done immediately, as “it’s very hard to catch the Office Bearers because they don’t come in on a daily basis”, and went on to share her absolute dislike of having a backlog at work.  Anne elaborated on her work ethic by saying, “I have to finish whatever I’m doing for the day.  It can be very little, but I’d rather stay back and clear it off”.  She then emphasised that people skills and clear communication, not to mention patience, are crucial to her job.

Despite having to constantly be on the ball at work, Anne acknowledged that the sense of accomplishment she walks away with at the end of the day is exceptionally fulfilling.  Although dealing with four separate (and busy!) Office Bearers can be a bit tricky at times, she treasures the interaction and the deep, genuine rapport that has built up from working closely with them.  She shared that they had contacted her when she had been hospitalised earlier in the year, expressing concern and enquiring about her health, thus making her feel appreciated and missed. 

When asked where she had worked prior to joining Bar Council, Anne explained briefly that, as the youngest of three siblings, she had been unable to further her studies due to financial constraints resulting from her father’s retirement.  Therefore, she had begun working after completing high school at the tender age of 18.  She admitted that she had found her first job – as a receptionist at a law firm – to be extremely tough, mostly due to her young age and lack of experience.  However, she had persevered and stayed positive, taking it all in as a learning experience, before moving on to a different company, hence kick-starting what has become a prolific list of companies that grace her curriculum vitae.  

Hearing Anne discuss her previous work experiences, it is hard to keep track of all the organisations that she has been with over the years.  She has worked in such a wide range of industries – law, shipping, oil and gas, and even pharmaceuticals – that one can barely suppress a gasp of admiration at how she has managed to accomplish it all.  She mused aloud that she has had to learn many things the hard way, but added sagely that she has no regrets, as the challenges she has faced have shaped her into who she is today.  She recalled fondly how a former employer had commended her once by stating, point blank, “You never continued your studies, you don’t have any qualification – diploma or whatever – but the reason why I’m employing you is because of your years of experience”.  Taken aback by the unexpected praise, she noted that the former employer had written a glowing letter of recommendation for her too.  But what is perhaps most evident about Anne, at first impression, is the single most powerful trait that her experiences have bestowed upon her: confidence. 

I enquired how this KL-lite, with her wealth of character, relaxes after spending a whole day keeping up with the sometimes-elusive Office Bearers.  Chuckling, Anne confessed to being a great lover of music who listens to the radio constantly when she is at home – even when she is doing something mundane like cooking.  She has a penchant for music from the 80s and enjoys listening to Lite FM, citing that the station plays “lovely music” on Friday nights.  She revealed that her favourite genre is reggae and she is a big fan of Bob Marley.  Anne enthused that she also loves watching movies and catching up on her reading, when she can. 

Married, with three children, Anne is also the proud grandmother of a one-month-old baby boy.  With a twinkle in her eyes, she recalled that when she and her then-pregnant daughter had jokingly discussed how her grandson should address her, she had nonchalantly commented, “He can call me ‘Anne’”.  Giggling mischievously, she explained that this was because deep down, she still feels very young at heart and does not feel like a grandmother at all.  Her daughter had observed this fact too and had actually remarked, “Despite the fact that you are going to be 49, I think you have a very young soul”.   

Anne’s lighthearted approach to life and youthful inner-self is also evident in the way she conducts her day-to-day activities.  She admitted to playing “kids stuff” with her youngest son, and as an ever-affectionate mother, she has been known to grab her children and plant wet kisses on their cheeks too.  Anne, who has two dogs, Julio and Jackie, claimed that there is no better feeling than walking through her front door after a busy day at work, only to be welcomed home excitedly by them.  She added, with a hint of melancholy in her voice, that juggling work, family and friends (and her two dogs) sometimes gets tough, as her husband is based in Sydney, Australia. 

Our chat at her cubicle was interrupted a few times by her telephone ringing, and colleagues coming around to enquire about work matters.  Anne gave each of them the same, careful attention, jotting down notes and consulting her organiser when necessary, before turning to me, ready to jump back into our conversation once more.  In an effort to get her mind off work, I posed the final question for the afternoon by asking what her ideal holiday would be like.  Anne grinned and whispered conspiratorially that her favourite holidays have often revolved around white, sandy beaches and alluring swimming pools, with plenty of festive music and mouth-watering barbeques.  She reminisced that she had had the time of her life when she had gone to Koh Samui, Thailand, during the Songkran Festival.  She expressed a wish to revisit the island, saying wistfully, “Bob Marley is a legend there and the people were so friendly and nice; I’d like to go back”, before giving her quiet smile, bidding me goodbye and returning to her work. 

This is the ninth in a series of profiles of Bar Council personnel. Please click here to read the other profiles.